Chosen Man
by Chris Sharpe
As the sun goes down, the moon and stars arise
and soldiers “stand To” alert for enemy spies
Listening out for contacts from afar
Riflemen prepare to fight where they are
Then the crack and thump of an AK round
and the clatter of men forced to the ground
With a loud shout, “contact front”
all standing to shoulder the oncoming brunt
The … [Read more...]

How To Talk To Your Kids About September 11th
by Justina Bahrain
September 11th is a date none of us will forget but that many of our children know little about. That day and its aftermath are important parts of our history that we want to share with our children but may hesitate to do since it is a scary thought for adults let alone the delicate minds of our children. Here … [Read more...]

So You’re an "Operator": How Exactly Does That Benefit My Investment?
by E.M. Burlingame
This article first appeared in The Havok Journal 9 September 2016
Having recently ended active duty service with Special Forces (SF) to return to the private sector and to backing startups, we have so far brought in four management teams composed of former Green Berets (GB), to lead … [Read more...]

A Warrior's Tirade: The Price of Identity Politics
by Michael Bama Katt
Shouldn't come as much of a surprise how far ranging my natural habitat is. My first 35 years were military/conservative, and I've since picked up some very dear friends from over there on the port side of plumb. I'm grateful for most all y'all. If you break my friends down to their fundamental … [Read more...]

Know Your Flag and National Anthem Etiquette
by Marshall McGurk
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick ignited a national conversation when he remained seated for the National Anthem during a preseason game on August 26, 2016. The discussion points are many: patriotism, race and racism in America, free speech, and even leadership. On Labor Day and every day, … [Read more...]

Veteran-Owned Business Success: An Interview with Spartan Blades
Mark Carey and Curtis Iovito know a few things about taking risks to achieve success. The retired NCOs from 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) started Spartan Blades, LLC over eight years ago after leaving high-paying contracting jobs. Since then, Spartan Blades has risen from a small start-up to an … [Read more...]

The Captain America Syndrome
by Michael Baumgarten
I think it is safe to assume everyone reading this knows who Captain America is and his origin story--at least, I hope they do. Are you familiar with how he was frozen in ice and then thawed out in the present (fictional) day? When they thawed Cap out he was reintegrated back into a society that had changed. Decades had … [Read more...]

Where Are All the Female Military Writers?
by Colonel Chris J. Krisinger, USAF (Retired)
Editor's note: This article first appeared in The Havok Journal 21 September 2016 and the question is just as relevant today.
“One must be so soaked in military lore that [they do] the military thing automatically. The study of history will produce this result. The study of … [Read more...]

The Draft Next Door: The First Generation of the "Warrior Class?"
by Christopher Paul Meyer
I live next door to musicians. There are three of them, all in their mid-twenties. They're really friendly, even when they drink and smoke dope. But I'm the square. I'm the one who they see ambling to my truck in full camouflage in the darkness of an early weekend morning. I'm the … [Read more...]

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